Lily plant named ‘Tiny Toes’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Asiatic Hybrid Lily plant named ‘Tiny Toes’ characterized by its small to medium plant size; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; light red-colored tepals that are slightly recurved; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Lilium hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Tiny Toes’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of AsiaticHybrid Lily plant, botanically known as Lilium hybrida, and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Tiny Toes’.

The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in 't Zand, The Netherlands. The objective ofthe breeding program was to develop new potted Asiatic Hybrid Lilyplants with erect flowers, attractive flower coloration and goodpostproduction longevity.

The new Asiatic Hybrid Lily originated from a cross-pollination in 1996of an unnamed proprietary Asiatic Hybrid Lily, not patented, as thefemale, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary Asiatic Hybrid Lily,not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Tiny Toes wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within theresultant progeny of the cross-pollination in a controlled environmentin 't Zand, The Netherlands in May, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily by bulb scales in acontrolled environment in 't Zand, The Netherlands since November, 1999,has shown that the unique features of this new Asiatic Hybrid Lily arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Tiny Toes’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Tiny Toes’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Tiny Toes’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofAsiatic Hybrid Lily:

-   -   1. Small to medium plant size; vigorous growth habit.    -   2. Freely flowering habit.    -   3. Light red-colored tepals that are slightly recurved.    -   4. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily differ from plants of the parentselections primarily in plant height as plants of the new Asiatic HybridLily are taller than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily can be compared to plants of theAsiatic Hybrid Lily cultivar Cote d'Azur, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in 't Zand, The Netherlands, plants of the newAsiatic Hybrid Lily differed from plants of the cultivar Cote d'Azur, inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily had shorter flowering        stems than plants of the cultivar Cote d'Azur.    -   2. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily had broader leaves than        plants of the cultivar Cote d'Azur.    -   3. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily had larger flowers than        plants of the cultivar Cote d'Azur.    -   4. Plants of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily and the cultivar Cote        d'Azur differed in flower color.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily, showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Asiatic Hybrid Lily. The photograph comprises a sideperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Tiny Toes’ grown in acontainer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotograph and following observations and measurements describe plantsthat were about two months-old and grown in 't Zand, The Netherlandsunder commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants weregrown at a minimum temperature of about 15° C. and the average daylengthwas about 14 hours. Measurements and numerical values represent averagesfor typical flowering plants. The photograph and the description weretaken during the early summer.

-   Botanical classification: Lilium hybrida, cultivar Tiny Toes.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Lilium L., not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Lilium L., not patented.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright flowering plant; single            erect flowering stem with a terminal cluster of flowers.            Small to medium plant size. Vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 50 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 16 cm.        -   Flowering stems.—Diameter: About 2 cm to 2.6 cm. Internode            length: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple; sessile. Quantity of            leaves per plant: About 70. Length, lower leaves: About            9.3 cm. Width, lower leaves: About 1.1 cm. Length, upper            leaves: About 8.8 cm. Width, upper leaves: About 2.1 cm.            Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth;            leathery. Venation pattern: Parallel. Color: Developing and            fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 143A; venation,            similar to lamina. Developing and fully expanded leaves,            lower surface: 143C; venation, similar to lamina.        -   Bulbs.—Diameter: About 10 cm to 20 cm. Texture: Smooth.            Color: Close to 155D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flowering habit.—Terminal single flowers arranged on a            raceme on long, mostly erect and strong flowering stems.            Flowers slightly fragrant; tepals not persistent; gynoecium            persistent. Flowers face mostly upright.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower in June and July in            The Netherlands. Plants can be flowered year-round in the            greenhouse and forced to bloom about 75 days after planting            bulbs.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 15 to 20 days.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 7.6 cm. Diameter: About 2 cm.            Circumference: About 6.6 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Texture:            Slightly pubescent. Color: Towards the apex, 62D; towards            the base, 145B; sutures, 151B.        -   Flowers.—Quantity of flowers per flowering stem: Freely            flowering; larger bulbs will produce plants with about ten            flowers per flowering stem. Shape: Funnel-shaped. When fully            opened, flowers flatten and reflex slightly. Diameter: About            14.5 cm. Depth (height): About 5 cm.        -   Perianth.—Quantity/arrangement: Six tepals per flower;            imbricate. Tepal length, inner tepals: About 9.2 cm. Tepal            length, outer tepals: About 9.5 cm. Tepal width, inner            tepals: About 4.3 cm. Tepal width, outer tepals: About            3.2 cm. Tepal shape: Lanceolate. Tepal apex: Acute. Tepal            margin: Entire. Tepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Tepal color: When opening, upper and lower            surfaces: 37B. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 37A;            color becoming closer to 39A with development.        -   Pedicels.—Angle: About 50° to 70° from vertical. Strength:            Strong. Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: 145B overlain with 62D.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Six.            Filament length: About 6.4 cm. Filament color: 49B. Anther            length: About 1.7 cm. Anther color: 169A. Pollen color:            169C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Style length: About            5.6 cm. Style color: 161C. Stigma length: About 4 mm. Stigma            color: 78B. Fruits: Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About            1.2 cm. Color: 145A. Seed produced: None viable.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Asiatic Hybrid Lilies has not been determined.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant named ‘Tiny Toes’, asillustrated and described.